STEP 1: After prepping hair with L’anza Ultimate Treatment, section hair. Chris created a triangle section on the top of the head, right where his client would lay her part. Then section out pieces that would frame the face.

STEP 2: Take a slice from the front. Put balayage board underneath. Start painting on lightener through the midshaft and ends and work your way up. Slices will give a more bold look, as opposed to babylights, which would be more subtle.

STEP 3: Lay a L’anza film on top of this slice. Chris likes to use these because they are see-through, so he is able to see the lightening process as it happens—no guess-work required!

STEP 4: Repeat with more horizontal slices from the triangle section until you reach where the head begins to curve. Once you reach the final section at the curvature, use a babylight technique to paint on the lightener for a softer look.

It's the time of year when just about every client who sits in your chair wants to go lighter and brighter in some way. Whitney Parr, Wella Design Team artist and Master Color Expert-certified, shares her hit list of tips to get you through blonding seasons.

Sophia Avera (@ssophiacolor) of Muse Salon and Spa, Atlanta, Georgia, is a color expert, and top national balayage educator for L’Oréal Professionnel. One of the key questions she gets at her seminars is “how do you create a root smudge without losing the highlights?” Here Avera shares her top ten tips on perfecting the color design.